Andagoya is a village in west-central Colombia whose chief claim to fame is its spectacularly monotonous climate, in terms of both temperature and precipitation.
The annual range of monthly mean temperatures _ that is to say, the difference between the warmest and coldest months _ at Andagoya is mere 0.7°C (approximately 1.3°F) as April, the warmest month, has an average temperature of 27.7°C (81.9°F) while November, the "coldest" month, averages 27.0°C (80.6°F); the average annual temperature is 27.4°C (81.3°F). This near complete uniformity of temperature is caused by the fact that Andagoya, at a latitude of 5° 5' North, lies extremely close to the thermal equator, which is situated a few degrees north of the astronomical equator because the Earth reaches perihelion (its closest position to the Sun in its orbit) in early January and is at aphelion (furthest away) in early July, causing places located precisely at the equator to receive somewhat more insolation (i.e., light and heat energy from the sun) in January than in July even though the height of the sun and the length of days would be the same at both times. At a few degrees north latitude, however, the perihelion/aphelion factor and the slightly higher sun and longer days experienced at the time of the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere cancel each other out, making the level of insolation experienced there virtually identical throughout the year.
In addition to being monotonously hot, Andagoya is also monotonously wet: Every month of the year has at least 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) of average precipitation (December being the "driest" month), with the wettest month (May) averaging 650 millimeters (25.6 inches). Average annual precipitation is 6,817 millimeters (268.4 inches), and more rain falls at night than during the day, the reverse of what is true in most places that have tropical rain forest climates.
When the capital was transferred to Panama he helped Pedrarias to subjugate the warlike tribes of Veraguas, and in 1520 accompanied Espinosa on his expedition into the territory of the Cacique Urraca, situated in the present Republic of Costa Rica.
In 1522 the accounts of the achievements of Hernán Cortés, and the return of Pascual de Andagoya from his expedition to the southern part of Panama, bringing news of the countries situated along the shore of the ocean to the south, fired him with enthusiasm.
With the approbation of Pedrarias he formed together with Diego de Almagro, a soldier of fortune who was at that time in Panama, and Hernando de Luque, a Spanish cleric, a company to conquer the lands situated to the south of Panama.